Red tape a barrier to school's opening

Education Department says voter approval for the change is required

The Bridge School building at 364 Warren St. on Thursday Aug. 29, 2013 in Hudson, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

The Bridge School building at 364 Warren St. on Thursday Aug. 29, 2013 in Hudson, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Photo: Michael P. Farrell

Photo: Michael P. Farrell

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The Bridge School building at 364 Warren St. on Thursday Aug. 29, 2013 in Hudson, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

The Bridge School building at 364 Warren St. on Thursday Aug. 29, 2013 in Hudson, N.Y. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

Photo: Michael P. Farrell

Red tape a barrier to school's opening

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Albany

Around the state, school officials are rushing to make sure their buildings are swept and cleaned, their supply closets are stocked and teachers are ready to welcome back students.

But a new school trying to open in downtown Hudson faces another last-minute hurdle: red tape.

Supporters of the Columbia-Greene Partnership Academy are hoping to open their doors next week despite lingering questions at the State Education Department over whether they can teach students from some districts, and the fact that a bill allowing the school to open its door is only now hitting the governor's desk two months after it passed the Legislature.

The new school will be run by the special district attached to the Berkshire Farm, a state-run facility for troubled youth in rural Canaan. The facility has experience delivering lessons to students with behavioral problems, and the school districts in Hudson and Catskill — its sister city across the Hudson River — already bus several pupils for "day placement" in Berkshire's classrooms.

Superintendents from Berkshire, Hudson and Catskill conceived of the new school, known as The Bridge, as a way to pool resources and save money. They found and renovated a building along Warren Street in Hudson, and assembled a roster of faculty.

Hudson provided a principal who would supervise not only the day-placement students but also those who sought an alternative learning program — featuring smaller classes with more instructors — that the district hasn't offered since 2010.

Fifty-five students signed up.

"Three district superintendents came together and answered the governor's call: We regionalized, we collaborated. But now we're getting caught up by legislation giving us the authority to do so," said Hudson School Superintendent Maria Suttmeier. "Now I can't tell you if they're going to come here next week. ... We had all assurances that this was something that could be done, and it wasn't until the 11th hour that we learned of these problems."

But last Friday, officials from the State Education Department said during a meeting with the school districts that they felt a popular referendum was needed for them to enter into a contract to send a student to another district, just as voters must approve the school budget and contracts for bus purchases or the sale of old buildings.

Suttmeier and other district officials disagreed, because the contract was temporary and funded by a grant from the Galvan Foundation. An SED spokesman declined comment.

And absent any formal legal declaration, Suttmeier said she was prepared to rely on the advice of her own counsel and move forward. Some of The Bridge's intended students had dropped out or signaled they would, if only offered a traditional classroom seat.

James N. Baldwin, superintendent of the Questar III BOCES, said a referendum would be "consistent" with New York's educational policies.

"It's one of those situations where we see that we have a very mature system for public education here in New York. Along the way, various provisions were enacted," he said.

The other hurdle is a bill that authorizes Berkshire to operate a facility in Hudson. Its charter is currently restricted to Canaan. The measure passed without controversy on the last day of the legislative session in June, but was held in the state Assembly. This is common: After passage, bills are delivered to the governor in batches in consultation with legislative leaders. But it seems nobody realized this one was time-sensitive.